Logo design, in short

An essentialist analysis of logo design.

There is no objectively perfect logo. However, this is an attempt to get closer to it, an essentialist analysis of logo design with the lead of Sagi Haviv. He is a reputable identity design specialist, having taken part in the design of numerous well known visual identities.

According to Haviv, “a logo is the period at the end of the sentence. It is not the sentence itself.” A logo should not carry all the weight of its brand. It should not try to say a whole lot about the brand. In other words, “a logo is not communication, a logo is identification.” 

A logo needs to be three main things:

Appropriate

A logo should be appropriate in the feeling it conveys. For instance, a sports-related logo could feel bold and dynamic; in fashion, it could express elegance.

Distinctive

A logo should be distinctive and memorable. It should be unique enough to persist in the observer’s mind. A way to test for this is that someone who just saw the logo for the first time is able to easily sketch it on a piece of paper.

Simple

Less is more, a term used by many functionalist designers and architects, summarises this aspect to a great degree. A logo should be as reduced as possible. However, this has to be done in a way that still allows for it to be distinctive enough. This enables it to be reproduced in many applications and sizes without losing its readability. “[It is] kind of the continuum on which we work […] between distinctiveness and simplicity, how special can we make it while still keeping it uncomplicated [and] how simple can we make it while not […] becoming generic.”

Logo design, like so many, if not all design disciplines, is a balance between appropriateness, distinctiveness, and simplicity.